Gerbera plant named ‘Flocave’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Gerbera  plant named ‘Flocave’, characterized by its compact, upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; freely flowering habit; semi-double type inflorescences with ray florets that are white in color; and upright, strong and relatively short scapes.

Botanical designation: Gerbera jamesonii.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Flocave’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Gerberaplant, botanically known as Gerbera jamesonii and hereinafter referredto by the name ‘Flocave’.

The new Gerbera plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in De Kwakel, The Netherlands. The objectiveof the breeding program is to create new compact container Gerberacultivars with numerous inflorescences, good garden performance andattractive ray and disc floret coloration.

The new Gerbera plant originated from a cross-pollination in March, 2003in De Kwakel, The Netherlands of Gerbera jamesonii ‘Lovely Disc’, notpatented, as the female, or seed, parent with Gerbera jamesonii ‘Moana’,not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Gerbera wasdiscovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plantwithin the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlledgreenhouse environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands during the springof 2004.

Asexual reproduction of the new Gerbera plant by tissue culture in acontrolled environment in De Kwakel, The Netherlands since the summer of2004 has shown that the unique features of this new Gerbera plant arestable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Gerbera have not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat withvariations in environment such as temperature and light intensity,without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Flocave’ . These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Flocave’ as a new and distinct cultivar ofGerbera:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and uniformly mounding plant habit.    -   2. Freely flowering habit.    -   3. Semi-double type inflorescences with ray florets that are        white in color.    -   4. Upright, strong and relatively short scapes.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the female parent,‘Lovely Disc’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera are more compact than plants of        ‘Lovely Disc’.    -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have shorter scapes than plants of        ‘Lovely Disc’.    -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera have semi-double type        inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Lovely Disc’ have double type        inflorescences.    -   4. Pappus of plants of the new Gerbera are dark purple in color        whereas pappus of plants of ‘Lovely Disc’ are green in color.

Plants of the new Gerbera differ from plants of the male parent,‘Moana’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera are more compact than plants of        ‘Moana’.    -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have shorter scapes than plants of        ‘Moana’.    -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera have semi-double type        inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Moana’ have single type        inflorescences.    -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Gerbera are white in color        whereas ray florets of plants of ‘Moana’ are pink in color.

Plants of the new Gerbera can be compared to plants of the Gerberajamesonii ‘Everlast White’, not patented. Plants of the new Gerberadiffer from plants of ‘Everlast White’ in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Gerbera are more uniform in growth habit        than plants of ‘Everlast White’.    -   2. Plants of the new Gerbera have larger inflorescences than        plants of ‘Everlast White’.    -   3. Plants of the new Gerbera have semi-double type        inflorescences whereas plants of ‘Everlast White’ have single        type inflorescences.    -   4. Plants of the new Gerbera have thicker scapes than plants of        ‘Everlast White’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Gerbera plant. This photograph shows the colors as true as it isreasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type.Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values citedin the detailed botanical description which accurately describe thecolors of the new Gerbera plant. The photograph comprises a sideperspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Flocave’ grown in acontainer.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in a glass-covered greenhouse duringthe winter in De Kwakel, The Netherlands and under conditions andpractices which approximate those generally used in commercial containerGerbera production. During the production of the plants, daytemperatures ranged from 19° C. to 26° C. and night temperatures rangedfrom 16° C. to 18° C. Rooted young tissue-cultured plants were plantedin 19-cm containers and had been growing for six months when thephotograph and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, Fifth Edition, 2007, except where general terms of ordinarydictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Gerbera jamesonii ‘Flocave’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Gerbera jamesonii ‘Lovely Disc’,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Gerbera jamesonii ‘Moana’, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—By tissue culture.        -   Time to initiate roots.—About 2.5 weeks at temperatures of            20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About five to six            weeks at temperatures of 20° C. to 26° C.        -   Root description.—Fibrous; white in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Moderate branching; dense.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous semi-double type Gerbera; compact,            upright and uniformly mounding plant habit; arching leaves            arranged in basal rosettes; dense and bushy habit;            moderately vigorous growth habit.        -   Plant height.—About 63.5 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 71.3 cm.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate, simple.        -   Length.—About 35.6 cm.        -   Width.—About 17.2 cm.        -   Shape.—Runcinate; lanceolate to narrowly elliptic in            outline.        -   Apex.—Obtuse to abruptly obtuse.        -   Base.—Acuminate.        -   Margin.—Pinnately lobed with coarse and irregular sinuses,            lobes divergent; undulate.        -   Texture, upper surface.—Sparsely pubescent.        -   Texture, lower surface.—Moderately pubescent; woolly.        -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.        -   Color.—Developing leaves, upper surface: Close to 141A.            Developing leaves, lower surface: Close to 137B to 137C.            Fully expanded leaves, upper surface: Close to N137B;            venation, close to 144B to 144C. Fully expanded leaves,            lower surface: Between 137D and 138B; venation, close to            144B.        -   Petioles.—Length: About 13.4 cm. Diameter: About 5.5 mm.            Texture, upper surface: Sparsely pubescent. Texture, lower            surface: Moderately pubescent. Color, upper and lower            surfaces: Close to 144B.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Semi-double type inflorescence form with            narrowly oblanceolate-shaped ray florets; solitary            inflorescences borne on upright, strong and relatively short            scapes above the foliar plane; ray and disc florets arranged            acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—None detected.        -   Flowering season.—Plants begin flowering about four months            after planting and flower from early spring to the end of            the summer in outdoor gardens in The Netherlands. Plants            flower year-round under greenhouse conditions.        -   Inflorescence longevity.—Inflorescences last about two weeks            on the plant; inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit with            about eight open and developing inflorescences per plant at            one time.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.6 cm. Diameter: About            3.6 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: Close to 144B.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 11.1 cm. Depth (height):            About 3.8 cm. Diameter of disc: About 4.2 cm. Receptacle            height: About 9 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 9 mm            Receptacle color: Close to NN155C.        -   Ray florets.—Orientation: Initially upright, then about 75°            from vertical. Length: About 5.1 cm. Width: About 9.5 mm.            Shape: Narrowly oblanceolate. Apex: Obtuse to emarginate.            Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous; longitudinally ridged. Number of            ray florets per inflorescence: About 120 arranged in about            four whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to            NN155A to NN155B. When opening, lower surface: Close to            150D; towards the base, close to 157D. Fully opened, upper            surface: Close to NN155C. Fully opened, lower surface: Close            to 150D; towards the base, close to 157D.        -   Disc florets.—Arrangement: Massed at center of receptacle.            Shape: Tubular, fused. Apex: Acute. Base: Fused. Margin:            Entire. Length: About 1 cm. Width: About 4.5 mm. Texture,            upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of disc            florets per inflorescence: About 500. Color, immature: Apex:            Close to 65B to 65C. Mid-section and base: Close to N155A.            Color, mature: Apex: Close to 65D. Mid-section and base:            Close to N155A.        -   Pappus.—Quantity per floret: About 50. Length: About 8 mm            Diameter: Less than 1 mm. Texture: Soft. Color: Between N77A            and 187A.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 96            in about three whorls. Length: About 1.4 cm. Width: About            3 mm. Shape: Lanceolate. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin:            Entire. Texture, upper surface: Smooth, glabrous. Texture,            lower surface: Densely tomentose. Color, upper surface:            Close to 143A; apices, close to 144A. Color, lower surface:            Close to 137B; apices, close to 143B.        -   Scapes.—Length: About 48.9 cm. Diameter: About 8 mm. Angle:            Erect. Texture: Densely tomentose. Color: Close to 144B;            towards the apex, close to 137B.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: (present on disc florets            only) Quantity per floret: Two. Filament length: About 6 mm.            Filament color: Close to NN155C. Anther shape: Lanceolate.            Anther length: About 4 mm Anther color: Close to 12B. Pollen            amount: Moderate. Pollen color: Close to 12A. Gynoecium:            (present on ray and disc florets) Quantity per floret: One.            Pistil length: About 1.1 cm. Stigma shape: Rounded; curved.            Stigma color: Close to 155D. Style length: About 1 cm. Style            color: Close to NN155C. Ovary color: Close to 145D.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Gerberas has not been observed on plants of the new Gerbera grown    under commercial conditions.-   Temperature tolerance: Plants of the new Gerbera have been observed    to tolerate temperatures from about 1° C. to about 35° C.

1. A new and distinct Gerbera plant named ‘Flocave’ as illustrated anddescribed.